Vermont Spring Lamb, Peas à la Française

This recipe has been adapted from Daniel: My French Cuisine by Daniel Boulud & Sylvie Bigar with essays by Bill Buford―a book featured in Words-to-Table Cooking, Food Arts' yearly roundup of chef-authored cookbooks.

After we butcher half of a 20-pound lamb, every piece finds its place with this classic spring combination of peas, lettuce, carrot, and oregano. The glazed confit shoulder supports a perfect disk made with the saddle wrapped around oregano and slices of lamb kidney. On either side, a lamb chop bookends a perfect gigot. The front of the plate holds a barbajuan, a sort of crispy dumpling, filled with braised lamb to add richness and crunch to this tender spring specialty, delivered to us from Lydia Ratcliff, a member of the Fancy Meats from Vermont co-op.

In large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat; add bones and shanks in single layer, searing on all sides until well browned (about 15 minutes total); reduce heat to medium; add onion, shallots, carrots, and garlic; cook 6 minutes; add tomatoes and white wine; simmer until almost dry; add bay leaf, thyme, sachet, and chicken stock; bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to surface; reduce heat to simmer; cook 3 hours, skimming as necessary.

Strain liquid through colander set over bowl; reserve shanks; discard bones and vegetables; strain liquid through fine-mesh sieve into medium saucepan; reduce 45 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon; reserve.

Meanwhile, pick and shred meat from shanks into medium bowl, mixing in a few spoonfuls of cooking liquid to moisten; season with salt, pepper, and piment d'Espelette; while still warm, pack mixture into 8 1/2" by 4 1/2" loaf pan; press surface into even layer; cover; reserve, chilled.

Stuffed lamb loin:

1 bonesless lamb loin with belly flap attached (about 1 lb.)

1 lamb tenderloin

1 lamb kidney

10 oregano leaves

1 tsp. (6g) salt (per lb. of meat)

1/4 tsp. (1g) freshly ground white pepper (per lb. of meat)

1/4 tsp. (1g) piment d'Espelette (per lb. of meat)

Weigh loin, tenderloin, and kidney; scale needed amount of seasoning according to ratio; lay loin on cutting board so belly flap is spread out, facing inside up; lightly pound flap with flat meat tenderizer; score a cross-hatch pattern with paring knife; slice kidney lengthwise into 3 pieces; sprinkle seasoning evenly over loins, flaps, and kidney; line tenderloin and kidney against loin on top of belly flap and top with line of oregano leaves; tightly roll flap up and around the meats to form a log; tie log at 1" intervals with butcher's twine; reserve, chilled.

Pass 1/2 of dough through pasta machine, gradually reducing the thickness until it is 1/16" thick and approximately 16" long and 7 1/2" wide; repeat with second half of dough; sprinkle counter with flour; lay 1 sheet of dough horizontally on top; line cubes of braised lamb onto dough, leaving 1" of space between them; lightly brush in between the cubes with water; set second sheet of dough on top; press lightly to seal; cut between the mounds to separate; use small offset spatula or back of paring knife to press dough flat around each mound of filling to make tight, square pockets; cut edges of dough around the filling to 1/8" borders; store, frozen.

Artichoke barigoule:

juice of 2 lemons

11 baby artichokes

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1/2 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, peeled and halved

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup chicken stock

1 sprig parsley

1 bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

1/2 tsp. salt

In large bowl, combine lemon juice and 1 gal. ice water; to clean each artichoke, trim end of stem and 1/2" from tip; peel away rough outer leaves, leaving pale yellow tender leaves intact; using vegetable peeler, remove the skin from the stem and any tough leaf remnants from the base; submerge artichokes in the lemon water immediately after cleaning.

In small sauté pan, combine onions, carrots, chicken stock, and olive oil; season with salt and pepper; cook at just below simmer 45 minutes, or until tender; strain; cut a 1/8" cap from tops of onions; scoop small cavity from middle of onions; fill with reserved pea puree; return to pan with carrots; cover; keep warm.

Assembly:

canola oil (for frying)

5 Tbsps. olive oil

1 lamb rack (with 8 bones, 1/2 lb.), Frenched and tied

salt

freshly ground white pepper

2 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs oregano

2 sprigs rosemary

4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

4 Tbsps. unsalted butter

artichoke chips

1/4 cup yellow pea shoots

1/4 cup green pea shoots

1 baby carrot, peeled and shaved through fine-toothed comb on a mandoline

For each serving, place large spoonful of pea and romaine lettuce ragoût on 1 side of warm dinner plate; arrange 1 slice each of rack, loin, shoulder, and leg on top of ragoût; arrange 2 halved carrots and an artichoke half around meat; set 1 barbajuan, 1 pea puree–stuffed onion, and piece of artichoke barigoule in a line on the other side of plate; place an artichoke chip on the artichoke, a few yellow and green pea shoots on lamb, and some shaved carrot on the onion; spoon sauce from pan with the shoulder onto the plate.